Atlético Dallas posted an open letter to their fans today, announcing the end of their deal with the City of Garland for a training ground and offices near Holford Road and Highway 190 in Garland. Atlético Dallas has been informed that the City will not move forward with the proposed training facility and public soccer complex project.
The project was a $70 million-plus investment in Garland that included a professional training facility and new public soccer fields. The surrounding development was expected to be a $100 million-plus private investment for a mixed-use development.
The City and Atlético had been in negotiations for almost two years, and the project was approved by the council twice, with the 2nd approval being necessary due to the removal of the original stadium concept from the plans.
Atlético says it was after that 2nd approval that pushback began over some aspects of the project related to public funding for a private project. The club says they offered to privately fund several aspects of the project to mitigate any legal concerns by the city, but those offers were rejected.
“From day one, this project was about more than soccer. It was about giving Garland families and athletes a place to gather, grow, and take pride in their community. While we are disappointed in this turn of events, we are grateful for the support we’ve received from the people of Garland.”
Matt Valentine, Co-Found of Atlético Dallas
Atlético Dallas is already evaluating new site locations closer to the Cotton Bowl, where they are set to begin playing in 2027.
As part of its agreement with the City of Dallas, Atlético will take over management of MoneyGram Soccer Park in Dallas on January 1st, and the club will be able to train there starting in 2026 as it builds its team, satisfying the club’s short-term training facility needs.
Despite this change of plans, Atlético says it remains committed to the families in Garland and to supporting local community organizations and youth soccer programs.
“At the end of the day, we are Atlético Dallas. That means we play for everyone in Dallas County – Garland included. While our headquarters will now shift, our loyalty remains to every fan, family, and young athlete in this region who believes in the future of soccer.”
Sam Morton, co-founder of Atlético Dallas
According to Morton, Atlético is confident in its position as it builds towards the start of play. The club has sold approximately 2000 season tickets along with 6000-plus merchandise items – the latter would rank them 14th in the USL (Championship and League 1 combined) – about 18 months from its first game.
City of Garland on Ending Atletico Dallas Training Facility Deal
Update: Sept 26, 2025.
TL,DR: Money. Return on Investment.
Atletico Dallas: “We exist on paper only and have a really cool website, build us a stadium and training ground on your dime and we’ll name our team after you”.
Garland: “Nope”
Dallas: “Hell yeah! Wanna play in the Cotton Bowl? How about run MoneyGram with zero experience? You’ll do just as good as we did with the Standing Wave on the Trinity River!”